Adhesive supply and spreading attachment for fabric coating machines



H. K. LEA

Mai-ch 9; 1937.

ADHESIVE SUPPLY AND SPREADING ATTACHMENT FOR FABRIC COATING MACHINES Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1935 H. K. LEA 2,073,557

ADHESIVE SUPPLY AND SPREADING ATTACHMENT FOR FABRIC COATING MACHINES March 9, 1931" F'iled March 28, 1935, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 9,: 1937 UNITED STATES ADHESIVE SUPPLY AND smanmo AT- TACHMENT FOR Fannie coarma m- CHINES Harry K. Lea, Johnstown N. Y.,' to Kenlea Manufacturing Coin, Johnstovvn, N. 1.

Application March 28, 1935, Serial No. 13,575

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in an adhesive supply and I spreading attachment for fabric coating ma chines.

5 The adhesive supply and spreading device disclosed in this application is adapted for. association with the apparatus for coating. textile fabrics with an adhesive or rubber cement and flocking machine shown in application filed by Harry K. Lea on April 20, 1935, Serial Number 17,527, for

the Production of a knitted elastic fabric, disclosed in application filed by Harry K. Lea, on March 28, 1935, Serial No. 13,576.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an adhesive supply and spreading attachment for fabric coating machines wherein the hopper for the adhesive or rubber cement has an adjustable valve or gate to regulate the flow of material from the hopper with the end walls of the hopper adjustable in horizontal directions toward and away from each other for depositing of the adhesive or rubber cement in sausage form and of a length desired in connection with the particular width of the textile fabric to be coated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adhesive supply and spreading attachment of the foregoing character wherein the spreading attachment includes a non-rotatable cylindrical shaft over which the textile fabric to be coated travels, with a longitudinal groove lengthwise of the upper side of the shaft and having a spreader blade or knife vertically adjustable above the grooved shaft for the spreading of the adhesive or rubber cement and cooperating with the shaft groove to accomplish the even distribution or application of the adhesive or rubber cement to the adjacentface of the knitted fabric with the latter permitted to fiex into the shaft groove to compensate for any pressure action by the spreader blade or knife so that the adhesive or rubber cement is merely laid onto the surface of the textile fabric instead of being forced into the interstices thereof as would be obtained by the use of calender rolls.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view gate of the hopper for the adhesive or rubber cement; 7

Figure 2 is one end elevational view of the supplyand spreader attachment showing the I hand lever for operating the flow gate of the hopper, the supporting shaft for the knitted fabric longitudinally grooved at its upper side with the spreader. knife above the shaft groove-and the device for effecting vertical adjustment of the spread'erknife; Y

Figure 3 is an opposite end elevational view of the supply and spreading attachment; and

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional viewtaken on line H of Figure 1.

tachment for fabriccoating machines comprises a frame structure having perpendicular end frame members of similar construction, each including .a pair of vertical standards Ill and II with the upper ends connected by a cross bar l2 and further connected intermediate their ends by a cross bar It. The end frame members are connected by longitudinally extending head bars I, while parts of the apparatus to be presently described also constitute connecting devices between the perpendicular end frame members.

A hopper for theyadhesive or rubber cement is supported on the frame structure and as shown more clearly in Figures 2 to 4, is disposed between the standards ID of the end frame members and is of an adjustable character, the hopper including a pair of end walls 15 with the forward vertical edges thereof positioned substantially midway between the standards I II. and II with the lower inclined edges thereof engaged with the sliding gate It of the hopper that is operable tocontrol the flow of adhesive or rubber cement from the hopper. The slide gate I6 is guided in its movement by the guide members ll secured to the standards III, while the spreader blade or knife l8 constitutes the vertical front wall of thehopper. The lower edge of the inclined slide gate I 6 of the hopper is bevelled for flat engagement with the adjacent face of the spreader knife l8 and is adjustable toward and away from the spreader knife by devices to be presently described to regulate the flow of adhesive or rubber cement from the hopper.

A non-rotatable shaft l9'extends longitudinally of the frame structure and is supported on the cross bars I; and the upper side of the shaft "(is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 20 disposed directly beneath the lower" edge of the spreader knife IS, the textile fabric to be coated being fed over the shaft l3 beneath the spreader knife i6 and further guided in its movement by the roller 2|.

The operating means for the sliding gate l6 includes a shaft 22 extending longitudinally of the frame structure at the outer side of the sliding gate and is rotatably supported at its ends in bearings 23 carried by the frame standards "I. A series of spaced rack bars 24 is secured to the outer lower side of the sliding gate [6 and the rack bars 24 are engaged by pinions 25 fixed to the shaft 22, one end of the shaft carrying a ratchet wheel 26 engaged by a pawl 21 carried by a standard l0 and also a hand lever 28 for the manual rotation of the shaft 22 and operation of the pinions 25 for effecting sliding movements of the gate\ l6.

A spreader knife I8 is vertically adjustable relative to the shaft l9 and is movable between guide members 29 and 30, the latter being broken away as at 3011 with a brace bar 3| for the spreader knife carried thereby and movable in the cutaway portion 301;. The devices to eifect vertical adjustment of the spreader knife 16 include blocks 32 secured to opposite ends of the upper edge of the spreader knife l8 with a rod 33 rising from each block 32 and passing through an opening in the cross bar 34 secured at its ends to the standards In and II of the end frame members. A coil spring 35 surrounds each rod 35 between the block 32 and cross bar 34 and the upper end of the rod 33 is threaded as at 36 for the threaded reception of the wheel nut 31. The wheel nuts 31 are movable over the threaded ends 36 of the rods 33 for raising the spreader knife ll against the tension of the springs 33, the latter normally acting to hold the spreader knife in its lowermost position.

The end walls l5 of the hopper are adjustable toward and away from each other to accomplish the discharge from the hopper of the adhesive or rubber cement of a width comparable with the width of the knitted fabric to be coated and as shown more clearly in Figures 1 to 4, a shaft 36 extends longitudinally of the frame structure with the ends thereof oppositely threaded as at 33 and engaged with threaded collars 40 fixed in openings in the end walls [5. The shaft 38 is journalled in bearings in the end frame members and one end of the shaft is provided with an operating wheel 4| as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Upon rotation of the shaft 36, the end walls I5 of the hopper are moved toward and away from each other to regulate the width of the hopper relative to the knitted fabric to be coated. Means is associated with the discharge mouth of the hopper and adjustable lengthwise thereof for positioning in alignment with the end walls l5 for confining the opposite ends of the adhesive or rubber cement fed from the hopper and comprises a rod 42 supported atits ends in the standards ID of the end frame members slightly below the shaft IS with a pair of angle arms 43 pivotally and slidably mounted thereon and having their free ends overlyingythe shafts ISiand supportingly engaged with the lower edge of the slide gate 16 as shown in Figures 2 to 4.

A storage tank 44 for adhesive or rubber cement is supported on the frame structure above the hopper and a valve structure associated with the lower end of the tank 44 comprises a substantially cylindrical valve casing 45 extending longitudinally of the tank with a discharge opening 46 at the lower side of the valve casing 45 and spaced from opposite ends thereof. A cylinder valve 41 having a transverse slot therein is rotatably mounted in the valve casing 45 and is adapted to be .operated by the handle 43 carried by one end thereof as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The knitted fabric F to be coated as shown in Figure 4, passes over the'shaft l3 and roller 2| and the adhesive or rubber cement in the hopper is spread onto the fabric under control of the sliding gate I6. The knife I! effects spreading of the adhesive or rubber cement over the knitted fabric F without exerting any appreciable pressure on the coating material or fabric with the result that the adhesive or rubber cement is merely laid onto the surface of the fabric. The edge of the spreader knife I8 is disposed directly above the longitudinal groove in the upper side of the shaft l9 so that the fabric is allowed to flex at the points where engaged by the spreader knife to eliminate any pressure effect. Knitted fabrics of different widths may be coated with the adhesive or rubber cement by adjusting the end walls l5 of the hopper toward or away from each other and the thickness of coating of the adhesive or rubber cement is regulated by vertically adjusting the spreader knife, [8.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as clainied.

I claim:-

1. In an adhesive supply and spreading attachment for fabric coating machines, a frame structure, a hopper and spreader knife carried thereby, a grooved shaft beneath the spreader knife over which the fabric to be coated is adapted to pass, the spreader knife constituting the forward wall of the hopper, guides for the opposite side edges of the spreader knife carried by the frame structure, and a tensioned screw adjusting device for the spreader knife associated with the frame structure and upper end of the spreader knife.

2. In an adhesive supply and spreading attachtachment for fabric coating machines, a frame structure, a hopper and spreader knife carried thereby, a grooved shaft beneath the spreader knife over which the fabric to be coated is adapted to pass, the spreader knife constituting the forward wall of the hopper, guides for the spreader knife, and a tensioned screw adjusting device for the spreader knife associated with the upper end thereof, and including a threaded rod projecting upwardly from the spreader knife, a cross rod through which the rod extends, a coil spring on the rod between the cross bar and upper end of the spreader knife for normally forcing the latter in a downward direction and a nut threaded on the upper end of the rod to effect vertical spreader knife associated with the upper end thereof, the bottom wall of the hopper being inclined and adjustable to vary the position of its lower forward edge relative to the'lower edge of the spreader knife, end walls for the hopper adture' and arms pivotally and slidably mounted on the shaft and adapted to supportingly engage the bottom wall of the hopper in line with the ad- J'usted end walls.

4. In an adhesive supply and spreading attachment for fabric coating machines, a frame structure, a hopper and spreader knife carried thereby, a grooved shaft beneath the spreader knife over which the fabric to be'coated is adapted to pass, the spreader knife constituting the forward wall of the hopper, guides for the spreader knife, and a tensioned screw adjusting device for the spreader knife associated with the upper end thereof, and including a threaded rod projecting upwardly from the spreader knife, a cross bar through which the rod extends, a coil spring on the rod between the cross bar and upper end of the spreader knife for normally forcing the latter in a downward direction and a nut threaded on the upper end of the rod to effect vertical adjustment of the spreader knife, the bottom wall of the hopper being inclined and adjustable to vary the positionof its lower forward edge relative to the lower edge of the spreader knife, end walls for HARRY K. LEA. 

